When I was growing up my favorite t.v. show was called “Arthur.” It was an animated show on public television that centered on an aardvark named Arthur and his friends as they journeyed through the crazy jungle we know as 2nd and 3rd grade. One of the other main characters was (kind of) a girl named Francine. Francine was the super athletic, ultra-competitive tomboy that won at all costs. In one particular episode a friend bet Francine that she could not go a whole week being nice to everybody. Throughout the episode many opportunities arise to let her anger show and blow up at someone, but she constantly chooses to suppress and ignore it. Her friends begin to come concerned that the pressure building inside her will only lead to more pressure and eventually result in her blowing her cork. I’m sure almost all of us have the seen the effect of shaking a can of pop until finally it blows. In life we need a release, and unfortunately too many of us find that fraudulent release in the form of pornography.

            Life is packed to the brim with pressure of all kinds. Most days from the time the alarm goes off in the morning to the time we crawl back into bed. We deal with one stressful event after another. We deal with the pressure to get along and have a good image with the ones we live around, pressure to perform at work, to achieve in school and so on and so on. We usually do a good job of handling it ourselves, but every once in a while it’s just too much for us to take and we need a release from it all. For 12 years of my life, that release was porn. Whether I had a bad day or a social situation didn’t pan out, I always thought that computer screen would set me free.

            The ironic thing about all of this is that porn delivers the exact opposite of what it promises! It promises a release, a stress reliever, dare I say even freedom. Yet ten minutes later we snap back to reality and realize that all of the pressure we were dealing with is still there, and now on top of that we’re left feeling used, empty and useless.

Proverbs 3:5-6– Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your path straight.

            I think we turn to porn as that release because it actually seems like the logical thing to do. We feel stressed and overwhelmed and we feel that porn will release us from that and help us carry the burden. The unfortunate thing is that that temporary release quickly transforms from a safe haven into never ending jail cell. The good news however, is that there’s a hope and a love found only in Jesus that frees us from all the bondage and sets us free.

1 Peter 5:7– Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

            Jesus understands exactly how crazy and overwhelming life can be and that’s part of why He ever came. As people we were never created to carry all of the junk that we tried to. Jesus said that His yolk is easy and His burden light, but we feel responsible for all of these little areas in our life, where in reality Jesus wants us to hand our crazy mess over to Him so He can carry it for us. Jesus is designed so that we as His children could find complete freedom and release IN HIM! The crazy thing is that He wants our mess, our problems and our stress.

Matthew 11:28– Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

            So next time life gets crazy and you start to head to that computer or smart phone to find a little release from life, just remember that you have a God who wants to be that release and is waiting for you with arms open wide. Pornography releases parts of your heart from you, but Jesus releases the stress and pressure from your life. The choice is yours.